Friday, April 27, 2012

You Were Made For This

by Donna L. Watkins

Something we don't often think about is that we were created for God's pleasure.

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."  Rev. 4:11

© Randal J. Watkins - Female Common Whitetail Dragonfly

We are first and foremost human beings, not human doings.  It's so easy to get into the mode of doing things for God as if we're chalking up points that we can redeem when we have an urgent prayer request.

The number one priority in our lives has to be knowing and loving God personally.  Not just by some words in the Bible, but to have a personal relationship as Adam and Eve did in the Garden.

Have you ever thought about their justification for existence?  There wasn't any church work to be done, no sick to pray for and heal, no deliverance ministry, and they surely didn't need to worry about prosperity.  God made sure they had everything they needed.

So, God made them just for His own pleasure; to be an object of His love.  And when we love, we want to be loved in return.   God created man because He wanted somebody to fellowship with, to talk to in the cool of the evening, and to take pleasure in.

Isn't that an awesome thought!  So we really comprehend how much God loves us?

How do we give God pleasure?  By praise and thanksgiving.

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."  Rev. 4:11


In heaven there is constant praise, so it's obviously God's will for us.  We were created to be worshipers of God.  Satan will throw in every tactic he can find to distract us.  Condemnation is a common tool.  If we don't feel worthy, we will not desire to approach our Loving Father.


There are many Psalms that direct us to praise our God:  Psalm 29:2, 66:4, 7:17, 50:23, 34:1, and 103:1.


"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise:  be thankful unto Him, and bless His name."  Psalm 100:4

When we begin our conversations with God with praise and thanksgiving, we magnify Him and all of our problems become very small, so that we can spend 80% of our prayer time loving on Him and very little on asking for our needs to be met, because when we love Him and realize how much He loves us, we know He is a Good Daddy and everything will be okay.

So, when if you think that God's mainly interested in what you can DO for Him, take some time in the Word and realize that God longs for us as His children.  He wants to be told that He is a Good Daddy.  When we have that loving relationship, we will serve Him from that heart of love, not with the hidden mindset that we're earning "brownie points."

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Canine Grooming Tips

by Dr. Jane Bicks

In this post, Dr. Jane shares her expertise and personal tips for grooming your beloved canine. You’ll learn how to be prepared for upcoming grooming sessions, the best way to shampoo your pup, and so much more.

If you want to reduce the stress and increase the results of your grooming sessions, be sure to read the latest Dr. Jane post.

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Outdoor Decorating Ideas for Your Garden

From Gardening.About.com

Living in a 4 season climate, one of my rites of spring is dragging all the lawn furniture, large containers and assorted garden ornaments out of storage. Dragging them out sure beats dragging them in. In the fall, I swear I'll never buy so much as another bird bath. Come spring, I'm choosing colors and cushions with an enthusiasm I've never managed to work up for indoor decorating.

Our Guide to Budget Decorating, Tonya Lee, has compiled a whole lot of information to ease the pain this causes in my wallet, with her. Budget-Friendly Outdoor Decorating Ideas.

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Join Me On a Dangerous Adventure

If the video viewer doesn't show up ... here's the video link to You Tube.



El Camino del Rey is the name of a very dangerous walkway that winds its way along the steep walls of a narrow gorge known as El Chorro. The El Chorro gorge is located in Spain near Alora, a village close to Malaga. The El Chorro gorge sits next to the 700m high Desfiladero de los Gaitanes Pass. This pass is famous for a very dangerous path called El Caminito del Rey (The King's little path).

People have traversed the path for many years now, but the path has fallen into serious disrepair. Official access to the path was removed in 2000 after a tourist died trying to cross it. However, that doesn't seem to have stopped many people. El Camino del Rey remains a popular climb even today.

The El Camino del Rey walkway was built in 1901. This narrow, gut-wrenching path is only 3 feet wide! The path is held to the mountainside by pins driven into the stone. If you fall, it is nearly 700 feet the river below. How would you like to trust the building technology of a century ago?

It was built to allow local workers the ability cross between two nearby waterfalls, Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls. It served as a shortcut so the workers would not have to climb down the mountain on one side and climb back up on the other. Now a century later, the walkway has fallen into a state of serious disrepair. Many parts of the walkway have completely collapsed, leaving nothing but a metal beam and a wire between you and 700 feet of nothing. As you walk the narrow path, whatever you do, don't look down!

The danger doesn't seem to stop people from climbing it. This walkway serves as time-saving approach to Makinodromo, the name of a famous climbing sector of El Chorro. Since the walkway is just as much a shortcut today as it was one hundred years ago, people risk their lives on a daily basis despite its illegal status.

Several years ago El Camino del Rey became famous thanks to an amazing 6-minute video. Although I was unable to learn who actually filmed it, I watched the incredible footage with my mouth wide open. The video is so riveting you feel like you are the one risking your life (the horror movie Cloverfield was filmed in a very similar style). Some intrepid climber videotaped the entire route himself. He shot footage with one hand while barely keeping his balance with the other hand. Watching the gaps in the path plus all the insane people he had to pass along the way made me queasy. I could barely stand it! I was convinced he would fall at any minute. I actually developed a bad case of vertigo even though I was sitting in complete safety at my computer screen.

Thanks to this infamous video, El Camino del Rey has acquired a bizarre status. Today El Camino del Rey serves as a death-dying climbing dare for adventurous people.

Information Source: SSQQ Dance Studio

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Friday, April 20, 2012

The Chosen Ones

by Andrew Wommack

Mark 1:16, "Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers."

MT. 4:13-22; MK. 1:16-20; LK. 5:27; JN. 5:38

Jesus never chose an apostle from among the religious system. Every one of his twelve disciples were men that He chose from the secular world. It wasn't because God didn't have faith in those who were religious. It's just that most of those who were part of the religious system didn't have any faith in God.

One of the most common mistakes religious people make is to put faith in themselves. They think God will use them because of their great holiness or special abilities.

Paul said, "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are" (1 Cor. 1:27-28).

People who recognize their own inabilities are of necessity more dependent on God. That is the way God wants it. The Lord is constantly searching for someone who recognizes they are nothing so He can do something through them (2 Ch. 16:9).

Instead of thinking of your responsibilities, just respond to His ability. Visit the website for more articles.

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It’s Snowing Spiders in Australia

It looks an awful lot like snow in this photo of a farmhouse in Wagga Wagga, Australia, doesn’t it?

But be careful where you step: Those fields of white are actually spider webs, and the ground is crawling with thousands of wolf spiders, who’ve moved to the fields to escape their recently flooded underground homes.

Though the thought of spiders makes some people’s skin crawl, these spiders are actually doing good. They’re feasting on the mosquitoes and other insects that have become abundant since the floods.

“The spiders don’t pose any harm at all. They are doing us a favor. They are actually helping us out,” Taronga Zoo spider keeper Brett Finlayson told the Sydney Morning Herald. Read the entire article.

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Shade Tolerant Vegetable Gardening

Vegetable gardens need a full day of sun, right? Maybe. It's true that most vegetables grow and produce best with at least 6 hours of sun per day - the more the merrier. But it's also true that some vegetables can handle a little shade and some even prefer it. So if you only have 4 or even 3 hours of direct sun each day, it doesn't mean you can't grow any vegetables, it just means you have less options.

Here are 5 types of vegetables that can be grown in sun challenged gardens. Plant. Eat. Enjoy. Shade Tolerant Vegetables.

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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Free Admission to National Parks

In honor of National Park Week, more than 100 of the country's national parks will offer free admission Saturday-Sunday, April 21-29
The free admission covers entrance fees, commercial tour fees and transportation entrance fees. Some parks will also offer discounts on lodging, food and souvenirs.
Participating parks include:
  • Grand Canyon National ParkArizona (reg. $12-$25)
  • Yellowstone National ParkIdaho, Montana, Wyoming (reg. $12-$25)
  • Yosemite National ParkCalifornia (reg. $10-$20)
  • Rocky Mountain National ParkColorado (reg. $10-$20)
  • Shenandoah National ParkVirginia (reg. $8-$15)
  • Everglades National ParkFlorida (reg. $5-$10)
Click here to find parks nationwide.

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Sunday, April 15, 2012

Newsletter - 4/15/12


Hello Dear Friends!

© Donna L. Watkins - Eagle in Sitka, Alaska
I've really been tracking back through Memory Lane by getting my print photos into digital format.  The little gadget that I feed them into works really great and it's been an easy process to do since it doesn't have to be connected to the computer.  And for those who want to know:  Kodak P460 Personal Photo Scanner.

Since summer is travel time for most folks, I'll include a few of the trips that I have added to my online gallery in case anybody wants to have a few ideas for where to go.

One of our favorite trips was an Alaska Inland Passage Cruise that we received as an award trip from Nature's Sunshine.  We're not usually fond of cruises since we're really into seeing God's Creation and critters and cruise ports are filled with shopping, eating, traffic, and city streets.  There aren't many ship excursions geared to nature.

Visby, Sweden
Although I admit the Northern Europe Baltic Sea Cruise we took, another award trip with Nature's Sunshine, turned out much better than I expected.  The cities in that part of the world had plenty of parks and we were able to see many species we'd never seen before.  We visited some very nice countries and it turned out to be a real blessing of a trip.  Here's the ports with photo albums:

Arhus, Denmark - Copenhagen, Denmark - Tallinn, Estonia - Helsinki, FinlandWandemunde, GermanySt. Petersburg, RussiaStockholm, Sweden - Visby, Sweden

© Donna L. Watkins - Baby Canada Goose
It was rather funny when we would leave the ship at the ports.  There was a line to ask directions to whatever people were interested in, so when we would get there, we would ask if there were any parks nearby.  We would get the oddest looks from the staff since most folks were asking for museums, great places to shop or eat.

If you like Canada Geese, we visited a Center for Wooden Boats while visiting Seattle, Washington years back and there just happened to be plenty of birds to play with and enjoy.  Of course, I have more photos of the birds than I do of the town.

Although the award trips are very nice since they're free, I still favor the ones where Randal and I can get off by ourselves and plan our own itinerary and let God direct our paths.

Donna and Randal After Rafting the
Shubenacadie River in a Zodiac - Nova Scotia
For our 20th wedding anniversary, we planned a trip to the Canadian Maritime Provinces (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia). It was incredible all that we could get into an 11-day trip of the three provinces.  I did a lot of planning ahead and had everything laid out so there wouldn't be any time dilly-dallying deciding what we wanted to do.

We did a lot of firsts on that trip.  It was my first time in a canoe and I definitely didn't get the knack of it.  Randal didn't do too badly trying to remember what he learned from his Boy Scout days.  We did make it back to the dock.

We also took a rafting trip on a Zodiac, the only craft that meets and rides the Tidal Bore and the 3-10 foot roller-coaster rapids of the Shubenacadie River. What an amazing thing to experience ... a small stream changing its course with the coming of the Tidal Bore to an awesome giant river in a matter of minutes.

Every day, twice daily, 100 billion tons of seawater roll in and out of the Bay. At low tide, you can walk on the ocean floor. At high tide, just 6 hours later, your footprints will be covered by the ocean. Quite EXCITING to say the least.  You can learn more about the Tidal Bore in the photos of Hopewell Rocks, in New Brunswick.

Randal & Donna - Grandpa's Antique Photo Studio
Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada
This was our fun photo during our trip.  Sure glad dressing isn't as complicated now as it was then!

As for my health, I'm still working my way through the healing process.  One great piece of news is that my thyroid is back to normal.  The doctor didn't seem to know why it would blow from one end of the spectrum to the other, but with some online studying, I found that some new congestive heart failure research shows a link to thyroid problems.

If you happen to like that health news blog site, it's one that I also do with weekly posts.  You can subscribe to the weekly emails on the left-hand side of the page, or stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter or feed.


Rainbow, one of my friends in Massachusetts, has sent me two lovely books of encouragement and she makes them artistic creations by adding stickers to special segments and uses colored pencils to write things in and draw flowers, etc.  What a creative person she is.  One of the things in the second book she sent on prayer was this:
Through prayer ...
God quenches our thirsty souls,
revives our parched hearts,
and leads us to a higher place
where peace and joy and Love
will be ours forever.  -- Linda E. Knight
© Donna L. Watkins - Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia
That blesses my soul.  Communing with God is the ultimate survival tool in this world of trials, tribulations and challenges.  It's not the circumstances that get us down, but how we deal with them.

When we have the God of the Universe, the Creator of the ends of the earth, who holds the entire world in the PALM of His hand, to commune with ... how can anything be so bad?  We have to live in the spiritual realm as much of our days as we possibly can!

Red Fox in Backyard - Click on photo for larger view
There's plenty of excitement here in our backyard wildlife habitat.  We saw a Red Fox around the pond one day while sitting on the porch.  By the time I got inside to get my camera he had scurried back into the woods, but I got a decent photo of him with the zoom.

We have a House Finch nesting in the arborvitae outside Randal's office window.  That will be a real treat to watch as babies are born.  We're finally getting warmer days now. It began warming up yesterday.  Prior to that we've had really chilly nights in 30's and 40's which is certainly not good for all the mama birds on the nests.  It's a long cold morning to sit there when you'd like to be out gathering some breakfast.  Hopefully all the mates of these misses are kind enough to serve breakfast in bed.

If you're thinking about a backyard wildlife habitat, May is "Garden for Wildlife Month" and is the perfect time to make your yard wildlife friendly. Whether you're a gardening novice with a small balcony or gardening veteran with a few acres, you can provide for local wildlife by creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat.  Welcome birds, butterflies and other local wildlife by providing the four elements animals need most: food, water, shelter and places to raise young.  It's really that simple!

Enjoy life!  Every moment is precious and full of many blessings!
Donna

P.S.  If you enjoy this newsletter and The Nature In Us website ... share it with somebody else!  Maybe you know of somebody who needs something in this issue.  Thanks!


View Posts By Topic


Posts Since Last Newsletter

God's Kind Of Love

Video: Fishing Osprey

Home Design with 

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Turn Ocean Trash Into Hawaii-sized Nation

Animal Heroes From History

Lessons From Joseph

Herb Day 2012

Rules for the Dog Park

Newly Discovered Fact on Hummingbirds

Newsletter - 4/1/12

Annual Update on Monarch Butterflies

Previous Posts You May Have Missed



















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The photo(s) and article are copyrighted. You may use either of them if you include the following credit and active link back to this website: © 2012 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission from TheNatureInUs.com. The link to use is: www.TheNatureInUs.com.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

God's Kind Of Love

by Andrew Wommack


"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God,
and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love" (1 John 4:7-8).


Most of us think that we really understand the love of God, but our experience proves otherwise. We feel lonely, depressed, discouraged, and defeated. Every one of these negative emotions would be turned to positive by a proper revelation of God's love for us.

As for loving others, most of us would admit there are some people who are very difficult to love. Since we do not fully understand God's love for us, we fail in loving others. We can't give away what we don't have. If we receive a full revelation of God's love for us, it becomes easy to love others with the love that we have received.

When we struggle to believe that God's promises to us will come to pass, that's unbelief; but the root of that unbelief is a lack of love. Galatians 5:6 says faith works by love.

That means love is the driving force behind our faith. Remove or diminish love, and faith ceases to be what it should be. Many of us try hard to believe when we should be seeking a greater revelation of God's love for us. Then, faith would just naturally work.

Just a few months after Jamie and I were married, we were in a desperate situation. I had quit my job, believing that the Lord wanted me to go into full-time ministry. The result was that we were hurting financially. It had been days since we had eaten. We had nothing but a few Cokes that a friend had given us and a bag of Fritos that we had been rationing out. Our faith was beginning to waver. We were fighting with all we had, to believe that the Lord was going to supply our needs, but our circumstances and empty bellies were screaming unbelief at us.

One morning, Jamie took our last fifty cents and our car and drove to the laundry mat to do some laundry. While she was gone, I did some serious business with the Lord. I was crying and saying, "Lord, I don't understand. I would give my right arm to feed Jamie. I believe You love us more than I love Jamie, and yet You aren't taking care of us." I had let circumstances blind me to God's love. That's the main reason my faith wasn't working.

The Lord spoke Luke 12:32 to me very clearly. That verse says, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Suddenly, I realized my unbelief was because I had forgotten how much God loves us. God delights in our prosperity (Ps. 35:27). He gets no pleasure from watching us starve. As the revelation of God's love for us came flooding over me, all doubt that our needs would be supplied was instantly gone. When Jamie returned from doing the laundry, I told her that we were going to eat meat that day.

We had Fritos and Coke for lunch. We skipped supper because we were tired of Fritos and Coke. At church, a friend asked us to stop by his apartment after the service. We thought, "Maybe they are going to feed us." We stayed and talked for over an hour, but there was no food. As we were leaving, however, the man gave us loads of fish that he had caught. He also gave us all the vegetables to go with them. We rushed home, and Jamie fixed us a feast. Just a few minutes prior to midnight, we ate meat to our fill. The next day was my birthday, and a woman in the church gave us a large box full of porterhouse steaks. We went from a starvation diet of Fritos and Coke, to having enough steaks for a month in just a matter of hours because love made my faith work.

When our friend gave us the fish that evening, he told us that he had sent his wife by our apartment earlier that morning to deliver the food. Our car was gone, though; so she supposed we were not there and didn't stop. The only time that car was gone all day long was when Jamie went to wash clothes and I was praying in that apartment. At the exact moment that I got a new and fresh revelation of God's love for us, our supply came through. It took us a few hours to see it, but God moved instantly. He wanted to supply our need more than we wanted Him to. My lack of faith in His love hindered Him. As soon as I opened up to His love, my faith revived and He supplied.

There is more than just a superficial knowledge that God loves us. In Ephesians, chapter 3, Paul prayed that the Ephesians would get a greater revelation of God's love for them. He said, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Eph. 3:14-19).

Notice in verse 18 that God's love isn't just one-dimensional. There is height, depth, length, and breadth to it. Many Christians only see God's love as they would see a painting, in one-dimension. They've never seen the multi-dimensional reality of God's love.

In verse 19, Paul said as we experience God's love, which is superior to mere knowledge of God's love, then we would be filled with all the fullness of God. What a statement! Are you lacking in any area of your life? If so, you lack a revelation of God's love. Experiencing God's love equals fullness.

I've said all of this to say that a deep revelation of God's love for us is the most important thing we can receive. First Corinthians 13:13 says, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity" (God's kind of love).

There are many ways that Satan uses to try to block the revelation of God's love for us. One of the most subtle, and therefore the most deadly, ways is that he has deceived us into thinking that God's love for us is tied to our performance. We think we have to do something to earn God's love. We have to merit God's love. That is not what the Bible teaches.

In the natural world, you get what you deserve. Employers don't hire you based on their love for you. You have to perform. If you perform badly, you are punished or fired. The same thing is true in most relationships. I've had hundreds of married couples essentially tell me, "They don't deserve my love." However, the nearly-too-good-to-be-true news of the Gospel is that we don't get what we deserve. Praise the Lord!

God's love for us is unconditional. That is, God doesn't love us because of some virtue we possess. God loves us because "God is love" (1 John 4:8), not because we are lovely.

Religion is one of the biggest propagators of the conditional-love-of-God lie. Most "Christian churches" teach that God's love for us is conditional, based on our performance. If we pray, go to church, pay our tithes, etc., then the Lord loves us and answers our prayers; but if we fail, then the Lord won't answer our prayers. That's not true.

There is a disease in the church that I call "spiritual dyslexia." Dyslexia is where a person sees things backwards. A dyslexic person sees the word "god" as "dog". There's a huge difference between God and a dog; yet dyslexics don't see it.

"Spiritual dyslexia" has a similar effect on people. Those infected with this "spiritual dyslexia" see scriptures backwards. For instance, 1 John 2:3-5 says, "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."

A dyslexic Christian sees these verses and says, "I want to know God, so I must keep His commandments." These verses are saying just the opposite. Keeping God's commandments is a result of knowing God. You can live a holy life without knowing God; the Pharisees proved that. However, you can't know God without living a holy life as a result. When God's love is perfected in us, keeping God's Word will be the result (verse 5).

Any attempt to reverse this order is "getting the cart before the horse." It won't work; and yet this is what the majority of Christians are trying to do. They are seeking to know the Lord better by living a holier life. It's just the opposite. Experiencing God's love more will produce a holy life.

This dyslexic condition has caused many to tie God's love for them to their performance. When they do well, they let God's love for them flow. When they do poorly, they condemn themselves. They think God is condemning them, but He's not. In many cases, it's not even the devil condemning them. Satan has caused them to believe a lie, and they are condemning themselves.

We all need a greater revelation of God's unconditional love for us! I have a special series designed just for that purpose. A revelation of God's unconditional love for me is what turned my life around in 1968. It's still impacting me today. These teachings reveal the things God showed me about His love. I believe that if you open up your heart, the Lord will grant you at least as much revelation on this as I have, and it will change your life.

Recommended Resource:
God's Kind of Love: The Cure For What Ails Ya




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Video: Fishing Osprey

This is an awesome video of an Osprey in flight and diving for dinner. Great closeup filming of the osprey and the last catch is a fish that's almost as big as the osprey. It was fighting as it flew off and I was kinda hoping it would drop back into the water.

Home Design with Pets in Mind

by Dr. Jane

With the new year in full swing, many of us have begun to seriously consider taking on at least one home improvement project. But pet parents have the added challenge of making sure makeovers accommodate the needs of their companion animals, too. Never fear, because Dr. Jane is ready with a bevy of redesign tips, from fabric choices, optimal colors, flooring recommendations and novel ideas for minimizing allergens in the home.

If you’ve got the DIY bug, be sure to read this post now....

Sponsored by Life's Abundance Pet Foods

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

by Andrew Wommack

Luke 4:24, "And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country."


A modern day equivalent of this verse is "familiarity breeds contempt." Those who know the most about us also know more of our faults than anyone else. As a general rule, our weaknesses will blind most people to our strengths.

However, in the case of Jesus, there were no faults or failures to bias these people. In this instance, the problem stemmed from the people's lack of perception. They knew Jesus better than most in the flesh, but they had failed to see who He was in the Spirit.

Jesus was God in all His power and majesty, yet He was clothed in flesh --a human in every respect (1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:3). These people looked on Jesus' outward appearance and failed to see God within (1 Sam. 16:7).

Likewise, we fail to see the potential in others and even in ourselves because of our preoccupation with the outward appearance and actions. But within every born again person is a new creation which is waiting to be released (2 Cor. 5:17). All it takes is someone who believes.

Today look beyond the exterior in yourself and others and help bring into reality what we can be in Christ.

What’s Happening at Andrew Wommack Ministries?

To find out, visit our ministry blog at news.awmi.net. It has nearly two years of great testimonies, stories from Andrew’s ministry trips, special videos, and much more. It’s updated twice per week and has over 200 articles. Andrew once made the comment that, “The ministry blog is the best thing we have on the web.” Check it out at news.awmi.net.

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Turn Ocean Trash Into Hawaii-sized Nation

Located between Hawaii and San Francisco, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a floating column composed largely of particulate plastic residues that may cover an area twice the size of Texas. Exact determination of size is difficult, due to the inability to image the area with satellite imagery (the particulate polymeric residues which saturate the water are not visible via satellite).

Even as "trash patches" pop up in other oceans, The Netherlands Architecture Fund has dreamed up a wild idea to transform this "dirty" patch into a green paradise. Under its plan, engineers would build "Recycle Island", a floating island nation, from polymers both from the shore and from those harvest from the water. The WHIM architecture firm is collaborating on the project, looking at how an urban paradise could be constructed in the unusual location. Read the entire article.

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Animal Heroes From History

Dr. Elise Nowbahari, of the University of Paris, says non-human animal rescue behavior is far more common than people think.

Nowbahari’s research, published in the January 2010 issue of Communicative and Integrative Biology, suggests that animals such as monkeys, dolphins, fruit bats and even ants have an instinct that causes them to put themselves in harm’s way for another animal without the promise of any direct reward.

Monkeys will drive away an attacker from a vulnerable female or infant and fruit bats help other fruit bats give birth.

Here are ten examples of animals using their rescue instincts to help human beings in distress.

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Monday, April 2, 2012

Lessons From Joseph

by Andrew Wommack

One of my favorite characters is Joseph. Next to Jesus, Joseph may be the greatest example of godly character and integrity in the Bible. Joseph’s story began with a dream at the age of seventeen. He knew the dreams he was having were from the Lord and that they revealed God’s purpose and plans for his life. Genesis 37:6-7 and 9 say,

“And he [Joseph] said unto them [his family], Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance [bowed] to my sheaf.”

“And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.”

Joseph believed what the Lord had spoken, and he immediately announced it to his family: “God told me that all of you will bow down to me someday!” Some believe that Joseph made a mistake when he shared this vision, but I believe he was simply excited about hearing from the Lord and shared it in simple faith and humility, not arrogance. However, this bold announcement only served to draw his father’s rebuke and feed his brothers’ growing hatred. (Gen. 37:8, 10-11).

Joseph had heard from God. He now had a purpose, or a vision, for his life, even if it wasn’t received by others. You were created for a divine purpose as well! God may not speak to you through a dream, but if you will become determined to know His plan for your life, He will reveal it to you. As long as you can live without knowing His will for your life, you will. If you’re not fulfilled .... Read the entire article.

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Herb Day 2012

This seventh annual HerbDay will take place Saturday, May 5, 2012. HerbDay is an international celebration of herbs and herbal products that are packed with events aimed at educating and sharing ideas about the many ways herbs bring joy and well-being into our daily lives.

We celebrate herbs' use in food, beverages, medicine, beauty products, and crafts, along with the art of growing and gardening with herbs.

How will you celebrate HerbDay?

Previous years' HerbDay events have brought together professionals, businesses, and organizations that share a love of and passion for herbs and herbal medicine. These have included herbalists and health care providers who use herbs in their practices; authors, teachers, and lecturers with expertise in herbs; herbal product manufacturers and marketers; retailers and distributors of herbal goods; botanical gardens, parks, and schools; and, most importantly, individuals and families who love to use herbs.

Learn more about Herb Day.
Find an event near you.
Register your own event.

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Rules for the Dog Park

Video by Dr. Sarah

No matter the time of year, you and your dog can benefit from an afternoon at your local dog park. In recent years, leash-free dog parks have sprung up all across the nation.

Isn’t it time you started taking advantage of these no-cost public spaces? To help you and your dog maximize your fun while romping around and meeting other dogs, watch this episode of Pet Talk with Dr. Sarah going over the finer details of dog park etiquette. Watch this episode now ….

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Newly Discovered Fact on Hummingbirds

From National Wildlife Federation

Hummingbirds get their name from the sound produced by their rapidly beating wings, but another sound wins the hearts of female hummingbirds.

© Donna L. Watkins - Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
A new study that focused on 14 hummingbird species reports that at high velocity, different tail-feather designs give off different sounds. Males make these sounds during high-speed courtship flights put on to attract females.

In some species, only a single tail feather produced the alluring notes, while in others all tail feathers chorused together. The Anna’s hummingbird, a common species of the U.S. Pacific Coast and Southwest, produced a sound that could be heard across the length of one and a half football fields.

The vibrations are species specific and may even provide females with clues about the fitness of individual males, says Christopher Clark, a biomechanics expert who conducted the study with colleagues from Yale and the University of California–Berkeley. “I know that in many species, the faster the male goes, the louder the sound,” he says. “So the feather sounds might indicate how good, which is to say how fast, a male is diving.”

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Sunday, April 1, 2012

Newsletter - 4/1/12


Hello Dear Friends!

God is awesome and wonderful and He has healing available to us if we can just reach out and receive.  Believe and receive!  How many times did Jesus say, "Only believe."  And he continually told people that THEIR faith has made them whole.

Egg Mass from Pond
We don't really want to think we have any responsibility in getting healed, but the Bible is pretty clear on it.  So, I keep studying and renewing my mind from many old religious beliefs that were fed in (traditions of men) that have no Biblical basis of Truth.  God is always faithful!

Sinking ourselves in the Word will give great revelation.  I think as a culture, we have relied too much on books and tapes and left the Bible behind, many convincing themselves that they can't understand it.  The Holy Spirit's job is to reveal it to you and He will never let you down.

Randal cleaned out the pond a couple weeks ago and we found lots of egg masses from frogs and newts.  I get so excited to see life recreate itself in things in our own backyard wildlife habitat.  It's so simple to create a place for wildlife and so very very very rewarding for sure.

Egg Mass from Pond
It's amazing to think that such small creatures can create such huge masses of eggs that are much bigger than the creature itself!  Incredible!  But then, isn't that God ... totally incredible and awesome and wonderful!

While gathering leaves out of the pond with the net, we always pull up wiggly critters.  We had a lot of bullfrog tadpoles last Fall and actually released them in a much bigger pond across the street.  I'm not really thrilled that bullfrogs have taken over our little pond since they are ferocious eaters and will not share territory with other frogs (since they'll look at them as a simple meal).

11 Bullfrog Tadpoles, 11 Red-spotted Newts,
2 Aquatic Worms & One Whirligig Beetle
This time we had more bullfrog tadpoles - 11 to be exact.  I considered releasing them across the street, but didn't have a peace about it this time, so maybe they'll provide food for something else in the pond.  If our two adult bullfrogs are still in there ... they will eat them.

We have a bunch of red-spotted newts which is amazing.  I think they are the cutest things and can't imagine why we are so blessed to have such a big resident amount of them.

Last year was the first time we found aquatic worms in the pond.  I didn't even know there were worms that lived in water.

I'm still working on scanning my print photos into digital format.  This will be a year-long project.  It has been wonderful reliving the moments and revisiting all the places we've traveled to.

Lots of my photos are of God's creatures as you might imagine and this male peacock photo was such an picture of majesty, beauty and the amazing creativity of God's design.

All around us we see the character and attributes of our Father by looking at what He has made.

As I write this I am attending a few days at Andrew Wommack's meetings in Woodbridge, VA.  As you know I've been struggling with serious heart issues.  The last issue of this newsletter recounted my visit to ER and the nightmare of verbal details from the doctor who told us to contact Hospice and have my living will in order.

I had already chosen healing or heaven since I don't see surgery as an option, being based on the fact that the problem came from the rheumatoid disease ... and it will only continue to eat at the heart ... and then another surgery?  It's just not in my range of imaginations.

I've really adapted and worked around the devil's droppings of disease in my life for far too long and have decided I'm going to believe and live by the Word -- or die by it.  Fortunately I have my husband's agreement and we have been standing firm on it, along with precious people who have been praying for me.  It has been a very humbling experience, but humility is something we can't have too much off.

Question Mark Comma Butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis)
The Bible says God gives grace to the humble ... and all of our provisions of Christ are through grace, so I don't want to stop the flow of that.

I've had prayer with Andrew and also with a prayer minister at another time last night.  I talked with Andrew again today to seek his agreement on healing NOW rather than gradual, although he spoke to me that I should not despise gradual improvement.  I guess I'm not a very patient person ... but I also know it's a HUGE and HEAVY battle of the mind to go slow, even though you have signs along the way of definite healing, the devil does all he can to keep you deceived.

Last night I was able to walk distances I've not walked in months and today I'm even stronger, so I know my body is coming into alignment with God's design and the healing that Christ has already provided for me on the Cross.

Thank you to those who are praying!  I truly consider it a treasure and immense gift of God to lay me on your hearts as many have emailed and told me.

By the way, the meeting with Healing Rooms Int'l never turned out on March 23rd.  I'd asked you to pray for that.  They emailed the night before the appointment and said that one of the two members of the team couldn't make it, so they wanted to reschedule.  I had not had a total peace on going from the beginning but it "made sense" to everybody else, so I agreed.  We emailed back saying a reschedule would be fine, but never heard back from them.  I love it when I turn things over to God and He just works them out for my good.

© Donna L. Watkins - Passionflower Closeup
God's Amazing Design
Getting here to the Andrew Wommack conference was a huge step of faith with nothing in the physical realm to verify that I could actually do it.  But I knew in my spirit I was to plan on going.  It has all turned out well, even though the devil attacked big time all the way from our home to the hotel.

God is good!  He never leaves us and He's always a great comfort as we struggle with our soul (mind, will and emotions) in this earthly life.  We are to walk in the spirit, but we get wrapped up in our 5 senses and walk in the soul/flesh instead.  The key to success and provision of all of God's promises is to renew the mind and to stand in the power and authority that Christ died to give us.  It seems we have tolerated so much we haven't had to.

Be sure to watch the video of Niki Ochenski's healing testimony.  It had my husband and I both crying.  What a mighty God we serve!

Enjoy the beauty of Spring and the longer daylight hours of Daylight Savings Time.  We are loving the many songs of the mating birds!

Healing complete ... restoration in process,
Donna

P.S.  If you enjoy this newsletter and The Nature In Us website ... share it with somebody else!  Maybe you know of somebody who needs something in this issue.  Thanks!


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Toxic Treats Killing U.S. Dogs

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The photo(s) and article are copyrighted. You may use either of them if you include the following credit and active link back to this website: © 2012 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission from TheNatureInUs.com. The link to use is: www.TheNatureInUs.com.

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